Two of the Last Emails From My Brother, Tom

I shared these today at his memorial service at my Mom's church.

dated Nov. 17, 2008


Hey Dawn



Please keep Cherri, Chelsea and me in your prayers this week. I am really down in the dumps. I learned last week that I had a light stroke recently. I think it happened one day while I was cleaning the carpets. ( Sitting at home is killing me. I paint, I cook, I clean, and I tend what’s left of our grass!! Oh and I do the shopping!!) I have become a good little house wife. I never knew how busy Cherri was until we switched jobs. Anyone who thinks housewives have it made is crazy. My hats off to you, I have trouble keeping up with one child! I am having tests run this week on my heart---new cardiologist thinks I need another valve replacement. I have an echo cardiogram today and another angiogram Friday. I really am going to push for a zipper or Velcro on the incision this time. I have joked about it for years but this is ridiculous.



I am in really severe pain with my neuropathy, and have wondered if something else was wrong. I am tired all the time now. I hope that that if I have the valve replaced, the pain will be better. I am at peace with having surgery again if that is what the Doctors think best. They are very concerned about the scare tissue around my heart from all of the previous tune ups, and have all agreed that surgery is not a good option due to the proximity of the aneurism repair. However the function has gotten to the point that something needs to be done.



I spent the day with my darling daughter for my birthday, Cherri helped with a shower all afternoon, so Chelsea and I went out for lunch and then made a trek through Wally World. I listened for hours as she bubbled on about this and that. Golly I feel old one minute and then she rejuvenates me the next. There is never a dull moment. It is soooo different than when we grew up.



I am so proud of you and I really enjoy the blog and pics that you guys post. I can’t believe how big your kids are!



XOXOXO



The following is dated Dec. 3, 2008:

Dawn—I don’t know quite how to say what I want to say. I have prayed and prayed, and the answer to my prayer is just not happening. I am scared to death, not for me, but for Cherri and Chelsea. I have so many things wrong now that one thing is now affecting another. The Doctors are not very sure of themselves and I have lost my cavalier spirit. My health problems have beat me down to the point that I don’t know if I can go through this again. I have so many questions and no answers. Mentally and spiritually I am tired.




He was one of my biggest encouragers and a good brother. I'm going to miss him so much.